Expectations

So it dawned on me yesterday that my misguided expectations are causing some of my eating issues. I'd identified that my visiting family needed to have comfort types of food on the holidays. I think part is realistic and part is wrong. Black or white isn't a good idea. I was 100% thinking it has to be comfort (aka fat and calorie filled foods) instead of looking for ways to cut the comfort ingredients for healthier ones. So what does that mean for future visits and holidays? I have no clue because I want to give my family the best. And really butter vs light butter in foods does not taste the same. But it can be good. I just have to make the mental expectation that good is good and healthy which is great. I will try my best to go with the healthier substitutions in the future.
Then there are the expectations I have for myself. I should be perfect. I should have tracked over the holidays. I should have taken minuscule portions of the high fat and calorie foods. I should have I should have I should have. How many of us have said I should have after the holidays and the scale has become and evil monster?
That makes me realize that I need to be better when I go on vacay or holidays. I don't have to be perfect but I need to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. In other words, I need to not throw out all my progress for a week of tasty yum-yums.
So my experiment with not weighing may or may not have been a success or failure because of the yum-yum ingesting. I don't know but I'm not going to try it again for another year (post holidays) because my health insurance is paying for WW and a separate lifestyle program that requires weigh ins. So until that isn't the case, then I will weigh every day (see that black or white mentality creeping in again???). The reason is because I can't play mind games with foods if I weigh daily. In the past, I'd weigh in on a Tuesday and then Tuesday through Friday I'd be more liberal with my points, fiber (adds water weight you know) and salt. Then I cut it all back for a better weigh in. So what did that do for my digestive system??? Threw it out of whack. On a weekly basis. So either no weighing or daily weigh ins. Black and white for me on this issue is the right call. Since I started, I really haven't cared what it says with the fluctuations. On Tuesday I was 2 pounds heavier than Monday but today only half pound heavier than Monday. Yesterday, being up , in the past would have ruined my entire day. But instead, I pushed the scale out of my way and actually had one of my best work days in the last long time. And my new entertainment system components arrived yesterday (because I told DirecTV to trash our subscription while thinking they should just go ___ themselves) and we got all of it to work. The Apple TV (and now Apple TV+), Tablo with USB HD for a DVR with the persnickety stereo receiver. Getting that finicky thing to accept new equipment is a major victory. So last night my fave shows recorded and the Tablo has built in commercial skip. I'm so excited to see how it did!!!!
Can you tell I'm still happy today???? No doubt! My change from retired on June 30th to semi-retired by May is looking like it will be a go with the PTB and that is so excellent. Win for me (don't have to look for a PT job and I get to work from home for the number hours I want to work), my employer (they keep my expertise) and my dept (getting another lower level employee with the balance of what they're currently paying me). Win win win. Such a good day!!!!!!